LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Las Vegas man was sentenced to a few and a half years in jail on Thursday for defrauding greater than $380,000 in unemployment advantages, in keeping with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace.
Emelio Vladimir Rochester, 28, and his co-defendant Joseph Holmes Jr. conspired to acquire and possess 17 Employment Improvement Division (EDD) debit playing cards issued within the names of the victims with out authorization.
Between Aug. 15, 2020, and Sept. 18, 2020, Rochester and Holmes stole private info from the victims and filed fraudulent unemployment insurance coverage claims.
They then used the debit playing cards that have been loaded with unemployment profit funds to make ATM withdrawals in Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, and Backyard Grove, California.
On Sept. 18, 2020, officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division performed a visitors cease on a car pushed by Rochester with Holmes within the passenger seat.
A search of the car recovered 17 EDD debit playing cards in numerous names, $89,710 in money, 5 cell telephones, three laptop computer computer systems, and a pill.
In accordance with a launch, no less than $385,000 in unemployment advantages have been authorized for the claims related to the debit playing cards, and Rochester and Holmes withdrew no less than $192,000 from the accounts.
“Emelio Rochester filed fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims in the names of identity theft victims to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in UI benefits to which he was not entitled. He enriched himself at the expense of a program intended to assist American workers struggling during an unprecedented pandemic,” mentioned Quentin Heiden, Particular Agent-in-Cost, Western Area, U.S. Division of Labor, Workplace of Inspector Normal (DOL-OIG).
“This sentencing underscores the commitment of the DOL-OIG and our law enforcement partners to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in DOL programs.”
Rochester pleaded responsible to 1 rely of conspiracy to own counterfeit and unauthorized entry units and one rely of aggravated identification theft.
United States District Choose Cristina D. Silva sentenced Rochester to a few and a half years in jail adopted by three years of supervised launch. Moreover, he was ordered to pay $192,234 in restitution.
Co-defendant Holmes Jr. pleaded responsible to 1 rely of conspiracy to own counterfeit and unauthorized entry units and one rely of aggravated identification theft. He was sentenced to 54 months in jail.
